“The righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.” Proverbs 13:5

The very first temptation in human history was presented in the form of a lie. Adam’s first response to God after succumbing to temptation was a half-truth, which is a lie. Since then, lying, half-truths, and deceit have been the means of self-protection. The promise of the lie is a lie itself. The motive to lie is that obscuring the truth will deflect punishment, remove harm, or make matters better. But this is a lie. There is no lie spun well enough to fool God. His gaze penetrates heaven and earth. The other lie of lying is that lies make matters better. Instead, lies harden hearts, open the heart to more temptation, and removes fellowship and openness with others and with God. With this understanding, how much should the righteous hate lying? We should hate it enough to quit lying.